Emerge

Emerge by Heather Sunseri Page B

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Authors: Heather Sunseri
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Strain.”
    “Dr. Hempel. I’ll look for him.” I tried to smile.
    After ridding ourselves of our protective outerwear and armed with the supplies I needed, Caine and I reentered the hallway and came face to face with Nina. Her face was pale. She stared straight ahead, not really focusing on anything.
    “Nina, honey,” Caine said.
    “Dylan’s sick.”
    My hand flew to my mouth.
    She redirected her gaze to me. “Dylan’s sick, and Dax is gone. As soon as Dylan spiked a fever, he picked a fight with Dax. Dax left, Cricket.”
    I nodded. But I knew that wasn’t the sole reason Dax ran.
    I placed my hands on her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay, Nina. I’m going to make sure we get a treatment. Count on it.”

chapter fourteen
West

    “Where are we going?” I followed Cricket through the streets past Boone Blackston and toward the abandoned estate at the base of the mountain. I still felt the effects of the jolt of electricity that the asshole from my own city had given me.
    I watched for any sign of their movement, using the knowledge of tracking I’d learned in survival classes at New Caelum. It was gratifying to find that I could apply these skills in the outside world; our classes had always been held inside simulation chambers.
    Either Cricket also knew these signs to watch for, or she simply got lucky with the route she took.
    “Are you not going to answer me?” I asked when she ignored my first question.
    She had barely spoken to me since we’d left the hospital, except to tell me that I was to come with her if I wanted her help. I figured she had the things she promised—the things that Willow needed—inside the case she’d slid into her backpack, but I also suspected that she had information I wanted, locked up inside that head of hers.
    I had never expected her to send Dax away like she did, clearing the way so that she could come with me—wherever it was we were going. Though I didn’t care much for the guy, I had to admit to feeling sorry for the poor chap when she crushed his heart.
    When she still didn’t speak, I said, “So I guess you’re not talking to me? Why? What did I do to you? I’m going to keep talking just like this until you speak to me. I will annoy you to death before any virus could ever get you. Well, I suppose the virus could get me first, so you can hold out hope for that, but I will keep talking until it does. Kill me, that is. Is this working—”
    “It won’t kill you.” She interrupted me without a hint of humor.
    “So, she does talk. What do you mean? What won’t kill me?”
    “Bad Sam. It won’t kill you. You’re immune. Caine was supposed to tell you, but…” She shrugged. “I guess he never got around to it.”
    I stopped walking. Cricket didn’t. I had to jog to catch back up. “How do you know this?”
    “We tested your blood. You’re immune to the virus.”
    We walked in silence the rest of the way to the estate. I might have been in shock. Immune? Was that possible? That would explain why I hadn’t come down with the virus after I’d kissed Christina. We had been inseparable back then, and I’d never understood why I hadn’t caught the virus from her.
    I followed Cricket down a set of stone stairs, different from the ones I’d followed her down before. For a while we made our way through overgrown brush on a path that was well worn, but then she cut away from the path, weaved around a crumbled brick sidewalk, and led me through a large door that was barely hanging on its hinges.
    Cricket pushed a few stray strands of hair behind her left ear. The complexion on the left side of her face was smooth, her cheek naturally tinted, flawless. “Watch out for the boards here.” She pointed to an area of flooring to our right. “They’re rotten. If you step in the wrong place, you’ll be in the swimming pool below. And the pool is empty, so that would kinda suck for you.”
    “Good to know,” I said, then mumbled, “I’m surprised you

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